this is insanity and the threat to the economy is not a reasonable way to govern. >> mike, how -- again, not to oversimplify this thing, but how did we get here? i think most folks following this fairly closely assumed that as is the case with a lot of things in washington, d.c. that at the 11th hour withere will ba deal that gets done. there are a lot of folks involved in the deal making saying, it won't happen this time. >> well, look. i think ari is right in one real respect which is they set this up, you know, more than a year ago as a way of trying to provide counter pressure to the political pressures that exist across the board on all of these lawmakers and these individual districts. they thought that the pressure, the scare tactic that they put on themselves of deep defense cuts on the one side and deep cuts to domestic programs on the other side forces everybody to the table. it clearly turned out that in the wake of the election we had, the pressures in their districts, the threat of being primaried especially on the republican side meant that folks aren't willing to move as

the government down if you remember in 2011. they didn't care. the president compromised. we finally came up with a deal. when we came to the debt ceiling. and beginning to pay our bills. and continuing to pay our bills. they didn't really care. i think that's what they were set out to do. to close the government. we are in a season where we need to act. >> you, congressman -- >> on something concrete. >> i didn't mean to interrupt you there but it sounds like you think it's a deliberate attempt to take the economy, the government. >> yeah. 55. the tea party members. not john boehner. john boehner's allowed himself to be captured by the fellows. he is above and beyond that. i think he's basically trying to do the right thing but he can't get a vote out of his own party for his own legislation. who does he turn to? the president of the united states? more worried about getting a proposition from the president to turn down then what proposition is he talking about? i think the president has been more than willing to compromise and the democrats in the house of representatives. we need 30 votes

to support and fund our government. what does it say about the dysfunctionality? >> we will have to leave it there. happy holidays to you. joining me now on the phone, congressman gregory meeks. congressman, i just saw you downstairs in the lobby about two or three hours ago and you were waiting on a phone call to determine when you might have to go back to d.c. to hammer out fiscal cliff matters. have you gotten the call yet? >> we are still waiting. >> no word as to when you guys are going back? no sense of urgency? >> i think there is a sense of urgencey and we have to have a deal. i don't think that the speaker is going to bring back all the members unless he has a vote and that's what he is going to have a conference call. he's got to resolve his conference. democrats said they indicated to meet folks halfway. the government worked for his entire existence. i think the speaker is concerned about whether or not he can get reelected. he puts the bill on the floor without having all of his republicans on as i heard in your panel. the talking about i believe we can get 20 or 25 or more t

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